Envoy sees limitless horizon for India-US ties

Washington, Feb 7 (IANS) Noting an "increasing convergence" of Indian and US interests across major global issues, Indian ambassador to the US Nirupama Rao says she sees a "virtually limitless horizon" for the two countries to achieve together.

"Just as we share values of democracy, freedom, tolerance and diversity, there is an increasing convergence of our interests across major global issues," she said in a congratulatory letter to Republican House member Peter Roskam, the new co-chair of the Congressional Caucus of India and Indian Americans.

"Today, it is an exciting time for India-US relations when we have a virtually limitless horizon of what we can achieve together, with our futures linked in so many ways," Rao wrote.

The Republican party selected Roskam as co-chair to join Democrat co-chair Joe Crowley to head the largest caucus dedicated to one country in the House charged with advancement of US-India relations.

He takes over from Ed Royce, who has become chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee and on the panel.

As India's ambassador to the US, Rao said she had closely witnessed a sustained strengthening and diversification of the global strategic partnership between the two countries, which now encompasses a vast array of collaborative pursuits and touches the lives of millions of people, globally.

"Indeed, one of the mainstays of the India-US strategic partnership is the spirited bipartisan support for this relationship in the US Congress embodied by the Congressional Caucus on India and Indian Americans, just as there is a strong consensus for thriving India-US relations across the political spectrum in India," she said.

A vibrant and dynamic Indian American community in the US also acts as a bridge personifying the friendship between the two great nations and is an increasingly important player in shaping the future of India-US partnership, Rao said.

The envoy expressed confidence that under Roskam's leadership, the India caucus will "grow further in strength and dynamism, add greater momentum to the vital strategic ties between our two countries, and substantively energize our historic mission to promote prosperity in both India and the United States".